This invention is related to a device for locking a bowler's arm in a fully extended position as he completes his delivery, and more particularly to a shell adapted to fit on the inside of the user's upper arm and forearm and capable of being bent with the user's elbow prior to initiating his back swing by applying his free hand on the shell's midsection.
Bowlers achieve a more efficient and accurate ball release if their arm is in a straight delivery position. There are a variety of bowling aids known in the prior art which lock the arm in a straight position and some, under certain circumstances, permit him to bend his arm prior to delivery.
Some such devices are illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 3,698,389, which issued Oct. 17, 1972 to Arthur Guedel; U.S. Pat. No. 3,975,015 which issued Aug. 17, 1976 to Paul J. Owens, et al; and U.S. Pat. No. 4,367,872 which issued Jan. 11, 1983 to Herbert Langston. Some bowlers desire to bend their arm to raise the ball prior to the back swing. Those prior art devices which accommodate elbow bending usually employ relatively complicated mechanical devices.
Other arm restraining devices disclosed for golfers are to be found in U.S. Pat. No. 2,468,580 which issued to A. H. Weis et al on Apr. 26, 1949; U.S. Pat. No. 2,809,042 which issued to R. E. Wasley, Oct. 8, 1957; and U.S. Pat. No. 3,106,718 which issued to J. H. Raab, Oct. 15, 1963. Each of these provide only a resilient resistance to arm bending. They do not lock the arm in a fully extended position.